Childhood in Okayama
by Thion Desertwind
Summary: In the tradition of classic family tales follow the adventures of a 10year old Ranma as he grows up in the valley of Okayama with his new family, 'specially his new playmates Tenchi & Ryoko. AU Crossover/Fusion with Tenchi Muyo, WAFFiness intended


Childhood in Okayama

Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me. Ranma ½ characters owned by Rumiko Takahashi, and Tenchi Muyo Characters are owned by Hitoshi Okuda and Pioneer. This is inspired by their work. This is a fanfiction, and is not intended to violate the rights of those who hold control over the respective series. Note: This is a fusion-crossover story.

Chapter 1

It was a beautiful spring day. The wind caressed the slopes of the forest in the valley of Okayama. Stretching the vast expanse of the valley was the lake, which glittered in the sun. The scenery was quite tranquil, until the sound of children's laughter resounded from the edge of the forest.

Three children were playing a game of tag among the fir trees. A young boy his black tresses in a tiny pigtail, clothed in a brown all weather gi was walking stealthily at the forest floor. His senses sharpened to find his intended target. Selfsame target was holding her sides and struggled to hold onto the branch she used as a look out and tried to valiantly fight the gut wrenching giggles. Her onii-chans antics were so hilarious. Steeling herself she looked down at her would-be hunter. Her wild cyan mane shook once or twice in suppressed laughter, when something touched her shoulder.

"Tag you're it" the cyan-haired girl became rigid on the branch she had been lazily lounging on, as now her super strong grip threatened to splinter her perch. Slowly she turned towards the smiling redheaded girl, who hung upside down from the branch above her. The redhead stubbed the cyan-haired girl on the tip of her nose, now grinning even broader.

"I got ya Ryoko-ne-chan!" the redhead piped in a kawaii voice, but still loud enough for all to hear. Gripping her braided pigtail the redhead jumped from the tree, easily descending 18 feet without harm and yelled so loud that it rattled the squirrels on the next tree.

"Tenchi-nii-san I've got her." She crowed. Seconds later the black haired boy from before arrived on the scene huffing and puffing.

"Well done, Ranma." He gasped between breaths. Ryoko, the cyan-haired girl flouted down the tree – ignoring the laws of gravity – she was visibly pouting and she looked quite cute although she was grumpy. Ranma puffed her friendly in the ribs.

"What, are you sour?" she asked the other girl.

"Spoilsport." Ryoko growled, "Just a minute longer and I could have tackled Tenchi." She intensified her pouting.

"Come on you know that's not the way to play tag."

"But that's more fun." Ryoko smiled saucily. Tenchi started to big sweat.

"Don't be frumpy Ryoko-ne-chan, I...I'll make your favorite to make it up to you." Ranma patted the still grumbling Ryoko on the shoulder.

"Really" Ryoko's smile became radiant. A nod from Ranma confirmed her. With a single motion Ryoko embraced both Tenchi and Ranma in a big hug. As the three children vanished seemingly into thin air, you could hear the forest animals relaxing, since the three rascals would now let them resume their peace. Three twelve year old kids could generate quite a racket.

With a plop of displaced air the three young kids, appeared on the front porch of a modern house, situated on the shore of the Okayama Lake.

The lake was quite famous, legend told that once a great warrior fought an unearthly demon here some 700 years ago. There the mighty warrior, Yosho the founder of the Masaki family, did smite the evil demoness Ryoko and her unholy steed Ryo-o-Ohki. Well somewhere in the universe one of the powers that be was laughing their divine butt of. Because the male fraction of the three kids, Tenchi Masaki was the ancestor (great-great grandson) of the famous Yosho and the Cyan-haired girl, who was clinging to him like a lovesick barnacle, was the legendary demoness Ryoko, well a head shorter and a little prior to puberty, but still full-blooded demon. Well demoness was a misnomer, actually she was a space pirate, but true to Clarke's Law the people that witnessed the battle between Ryoko and Yosho for something different. Well it had also been some 700 years ago so we cut the medieval folks some slack, since they were not used to UFO sightings.

The third child a distinct redheaded girl was Ranma Saotome and the grandson of Katsuhito Masaki, Tenchi's grandpa and therefor Tenchi's cousin. While you're wondering how Ranma can be both girl and grandson, we should refer to the cursed springs of Jusenkyo. Yes the long and tragic history of the pools of sorrows, which someone else should tell. Ranma was a victim of one of the cursed pools, falling into the spring of drowned girl, which made his gender water temperature depending. So splash him with cold water, instant redhead girl, use warm water presto you get a black haired boy. The pigtail comes in both shapes without extra charges.

So after a short group teleport, thanks to Ryoko the three children rushed towards their home. A regal looking woman in her mid thirties, wearing a kimono and apron was hanging laundry on the veranda.

"Okaasan" rang all three kids running towards the woman. With practiced ease she hung the last of the laundry and was tackled hugged by the kids.

"Why didn't you tell you had laundry?" Tenchi asked her in a somewhat admonishing tone.

"Yeah, we would have helped," the two girls quipped in unison and blushed as they noticed. For a minute nothing happened as their surrogate mother seemingly struggled for words before she grabbed them in a crushing motherly embrace.

"Your so sweet, dears. But youth is so short, besides you'll help me with dinner right?"

"Yeah Ranma-ni-chan wanted to do the honors, Nodoka-mama." Ryoko chortled.

"My darling child will become such a good cook." This statement made the culinary skilled martial artist blush.

"Mum, you're embarrassing me." Ranma whined.

"Ranma what did I tell you?" Nodoka said sternly

"Big boys and girls don't whine. Yes mum." Ranma said sagging.

"Good, now of with you." she said as she jostled them towards the house, "Clean yourself up!" They headed for the bathroom and after a short game of Yan-ken-pon (Scissors-Paper-Stone), Tenchi headed for the separate toilet, while the girls went into the bathroom to change. They quickly shucked of their clothes. Since feminine modesty was not really part of the demon-girl and the part-time girl, they stood in their briefs without further ado. Well not entirely.

"Nice butt there, Ni-chan." Ryoko teased.

"Hey we're both girls." Ranma said blushing. No feminine modesty was not a protection against a teasing Ryoko.

"By the way I've got a gift for you Ni-chan." Ryoko smiled while Ranma tossed a pail of hot water over herself to change from girl to guy. After he dried himself of she handed him a small violet marble, which looked a lot like one of Ryoko's earrings.

"What's this, I hope not something like those magnetic teacher-student pills, which made Tenchi cling to gramps the other day." He asked dubiously.

"Nothing like that and by the way those pills belonged to your dad." Ryoko looked at him in mock hurt.

"Are you going to put it on?" she asked him.

"I ain't wearing no girly earrings." He answered agitatedly.

"No silly that's a bodysuit, you know like mine." With that she yanked down her panties and bra. This produced in effect a blushing Ranma, who tried to cover his eyes. Well Ryoko's body had been deaged until the onset of puberty, but she was still was a beautiful girl and Ranma's mother had told him it is quite manly to peek at nude girls; it is impolite to stare at them. Ranma felt Ryoko's gentle grip as she forced his hands apart. He tried to look away, but she called out to him.

"Ranma you dummy look!" she said gently. For a moment he struggled with his morals and his trust in his surrogate sister. So when he looked he saw her dressed in a skintight bodysuit of an inky black with scarlet wing like pattern on her upper torso. Well its tightness, left not much to imagination and created some naughty ideas.

"This is my battle suit. It can stand quite some damage, like blaster fire and projectiles, resist temperatures around 1000 degrees, the vacuum of space and yadda, yadda... "She stated like a cheap car salesman.

"So how do I put it on?" Ranma asked staring at the bodysuit marble he got from Ryoko, none the wiser.

"Just hold it your hand, and concentrate on changing... you know like your curse. Just give it a shot." Ryoko struggled to explain.

"Well here goes nothing," Ranma thought as he grasped the marble and concentrated on the tingling feeling that accompanied his change.

Startled as the tingling spread from his hand and flowed all over his body, Ranma opened his eyes.

"It suits you" Ryoko smiled mischievously, directing him to look at the mirror. Well she was right; while it was skintight it showed the muscles he acquired through his martial arts training of. The suit was a direct copy of Ryoko's, same inky black, same red pattern. He was brought from his narcissistic musings, by a pail of cold water Ryoko dumped on his head.

"You may also notice it's also water repellent" she grinned looking at the redhead, before she added "except for the head."

"And by the by it shows your figure pretty well, the boys will be all over you." A teasing Ryoko again. The fuming redhead admitted internally that she was a cute girl, but since puberty was still in the future for both her halves, the thought of perverted boys after her still made her gag.

"RIY-O-KO" Ranma bellowed and the hunt was on.

After flushing Tenchi washed his hands and in the middle of stepping into the hallway a flying and madly grinning Ryoko flew by closely followed by an enraged Ranma-chan.

"Ah ain't dating no perverted boys." Tenchi heard as the duo passed by. A still developing part of his brain noticed the skintight body suits both of them sported, producing a small nosebleed. Taking his handkerchief to wipe his nose he counted down, the how many time it was they both flashed him this week and since both were fully clothed, if it really counted. Well nothing unusual today.

Nodoka was in the kitchen, when Tenchi entered dressed more casually.

"Are the others changed already?" she asked her nephew.

"Don't know Auntie, they headed for their room." Tenchi answered. For those of you who wonder why Ranma and Ryoko shared a room, it should be noted that Ryoko usually slept on the central wooden beam in the living room, and sometimes in Nodokas room. Well she sometimes slept in Ranma's room too and both came to Nodoka when they had weird dreams.

A loud thumping came from the stairs, indicating that both girls were coming. A gust of wind blew through the kitchen as the two stopped at the door. So there was Ranma-chan in jeans-shorts & halter top combo, check, and wearing a black bodysuit underneath, check. Ryoko in the same ensemble, check. Tomboy fashion sense strikes again.

"Ranma, why didn't you change?" Nodoka asked curiously.

"Ryoko-ne-chan changed me back," Ranma said, "She also gave me this bodysuit." She smiled.

"It's water repellent so I shouldn't change during cooking." She stated grinning smugly. Nodoka was confused.

"So this suit prevents you getting wet, but why didn't you come as a boy then?" While she said that Ranma put a kettle on the stove, filled a basin with cold water for salad washing and prepared a pot with milk for making pudding.

"Oh. Oh my, I see so many different types of fluids here." It dawned to Nodoka. Since Ranma's curse seemed to draw water like a magnet, the kitchen always seemed like a minefield for him. So during cooking Ranma changed several times. Tenchi went to the storage cabinet, while Ryoko prepared the secondary grill. It was something special a portable grill for making okonomiyaki. For those unfamiliar with this Japanese meal its something similar to pancake and a pizza and in its own right really delicious. Ryoko was still a beginner when it came to cooking, while Tenchi had become a mediocre chef. But Ranma had taken to cooking under the guidance of Nodoka, like the martial artist she was and exceed other cooks her age. Well perhaps even some three star cooks, but something so trivial wouldn't stop Ranma Saotome. Ryoko was always amazed when Ranma started his culinary magic preparing 4 to 5 dishes at the same time in large quantities. These were direly needed, since Ranma and Ryoko could eat like vacuum cleaners. As Tenchi filled the rice cooker Ranma leapt into action. Fling the salad washing and slicing and preparing with amazing speed, she already prepared the okonomiyaki mixture, adding pudding instant to the boiling milk so fast she left blurry afterimages. Tossing some Tomatoes in the air she twirled her knife before she leapt high and with a battle cry diced it. The tomato slices landed neatly on the salad.

Ryoko was stirring the pudding eyes fixed on the Anything Goes Martial Arts cooking performance of her surrogate sibling.

"Ranma you forgot to wash the tomatoes, again." Nodoka who prepared a big stir fry admonished. Without a transition Ranma's afterimages snapped together.

"Sorry, my bad. They seem to slip my mind every time." The tornado in the kitchen continued Ranma preparing okonomiyaki, which caused Ryoko to drool. Nearly everything was ready and Tenchi could even rescue the vanilla pudding, which Ryoko nearly forgot during hunger induced stupor. While Tenchi set the table Ryoko slipped out teleporting to get "gramps" for lunch.

Noboyuki, Tenchi's father was still at work until evening, but Nodoka provided him with a homemade lunch in a bento box every morning. Genma, Ranma's father was absent, which had a positive influence on his ongoing survival. Nodoka was still frosty to him, since she recovered Ranma from his so called training trip, Tenchi currently was also not on the best terms with his uncle last weeks embarrassing episode only the tip of the iceberg. Masaki clan head Katsuhito, while he found last weeks plunder of Genma highly amusing – two pills which made Master and student cling to each other, until the student bested the master – hilarious. But still he and Tenchi had become victims of the pills, Katsuhito mused that Genma had probably intended himself and Ranma to get the boy on another training trip. This idea made Katsuhito frown as he headed down the stone stairs from his Shrine to the house. Little Ranma was still emotionally recovering from the first training trip. It was good that he was at least taking the curse well, this still puzzled Katsuhito but he attributed this due to Nodokas caring. As he neared the house he remembered, when his daughter had burned the contract, in which Genma had promised to make Ranma into a man amongst men. She had been openly weeping, being torn between the love for her child and the consequence of the honor contract. If Genma would fail he and Ranma would commit Seppuku. Katsuhito was proud of his daughter since she did the right thing that day. This day also changed some of his perceptions and in the end it led that he now had big a little bit chaotic family.

Authors Note: Sorry for the awful spacing, the language, and so on. English is sadly not my native tongue. Reviews are appreciated, it is my first Fanfiction, after all.


End file.
